Archive for November, 2016

Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc is asking our members and supporters to join the protest on Tuesday in Clinton to oppose the policies of the incoming Trump administration. Students from local colleges will be conducting a peaceful protest at the Village Green in Clinton on Tuesday, November 15, from 3 to 6 pm. It is vital that community residents attend this demonstration.

Trump’s economic agenda will be disaster for working families, the aged, children, and disabled. His policies will increase the ranks of the uninsured by ten of millions, eliminate crucial safety net programs for low- and moderate-income Americans, cripple the ability of unions to negotiate collective bargaining agreements for workers, and put in place a tax code that exacerbates inequality and leaves many families with children worse off. Trump’s immigration polices will undermine Utica’s economic recovery, which was due in large part to refugee families breathing new life into the City by refurbishing dilapidated housing stock and start productive small businesses. The time now is to act before it is too late and say NO to Trump’s policies. DON’T MOURN – ORGANIZE NOW!

HAMILTON, COLGATE, AND UTICA COLLEGE STUDENTS JOIN NATIONAL PROTESTS ON NOVEMBER 15TH IN CLINTON, NEW YORK TO OPPOSE POLICIES OF TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

More than 500 students and community members expected at “Our Power” rally onthe Clinton Green in support of a nationwide protest at colleges and throughout thecountry to denounce discrimination, hate crimes and speech, deportation policies, anti-environmental policies, and the dismantling of affordable health care protections for our country’s most vulnerable individuals.

A consortium of college community members from Hamilton College, Colgate University and Utica College will gather in Clinton, New York at the Clinton Green on Tuesday, November 15, from 3 to 6 pm. Organizers anticipate that over 500 students and community members will participate in unity with 27 other colleges and universities engaging in peaceful protests against the policies of the incoming Trump Administration.

President elect Trump is a catalyst for the growing divide among many Americans. This rally’s purpose goes far beyond President elect Trump; it serves to give a voice to the people who are affected by these injustices in the United States. If we as an impassioned community do nothing, we will be encouraging this divisive and hateful behavior.

“For the last 18 months, we have seen and heard the unimaginable as the now President elect and his senior advisors have consistently made derogatory remarks that were xenophobic, misogynistic, and racist. He has incited his supporters to engage in violence directed at minorities, women, immigrants, or anyone who does not agree with his views. We expect better from our elected officials and certainly better from an incoming President,” said Areej Haroon, Hamilton College student organizer.

“Human rights, the environment, international relations, and human dignity are all at risk under a Trump Administration. The embracing of dictators and authoritarian governments as well as a cavalier approach to nuclear proliferation is shocking,” Haroon continued, adding “Because President elect Trump has failed to release his tax returns, we don’t know exactly to whom he owes nearly $1.6 billion (according to the NY Times) and the pressures they could exert upon President Trump.”

“If President-elect Trump does not cease his bigoted rhetoric or if he continues to fail to recognize the level of violence his ideas and actions inspire, we call upon all of America, citizen or not, black or white, straight or anywhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, to boycott all Donald, Melania and Ivanka Trump products, hotels, residences, golf courses and those organizations that support or fund his businesses,” said Terri Moise, another Hamilton student organizer.

“Alexander Hamilton (the namesake of our college, a person of color, an immigrant, a Founding Father who fought in the American Revolution, and one of the principal authors of the U.S. Constitution) fought against discrimination and his legacy inspires us as Hamilton College students to engage in the exercising of our rights of assembly and free speech in support of true democracy. Today we are exercising those rights as we fear the path upon which America is currently headed will lead to the normalization of bigotry and intolerance under the incoming administration,” concluded Moise.

To join the protest or learn more about the “Our Power” rally, contact Aleta Brown and Polly Bruce:
anbrown@hamilton.edu
585-490-2920
pbuce@hamilton.edu
203-914-6160

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NEWSLETTER OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK CITIZENS IN ACTION, INC. (ESTABLISHED IN 1997)

Now celebrating 19 years of community organizing, the Central New York Citizens in Action invites YOU to be part of a movement for progressive change based on shared social values. We believe in educating, advocating, and legislating for the collective good. Join us!

VOTE FOR KIM MYERS ON WFP ROW E TO ELECT A NEW VOICE FOR CHANGE IN WASHINGTON

VOTE WFP THIS TUESDAY

TRUMP IS A DANGER TO DEMOCRACY VOTE FOR HILLARY ON WFP LINE

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED TO KEEP HEALTH INSURANCE

VETERAN’S DAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE CNY VETERAN’S OUTREACH CENTER

ON POINT FOR COLLEGE UTICA CELEBRATION TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 10TH

VOTE FOR KIM MYERS ON WFP ROW E TO ELECT A NEW VOICE FOR CHANGE IN WASHINGTON

Kim Myers is ready to fight for all of us in Central New York. She has dedicated her whole life to public service and stands for values of caring, comparison, and community. By electing Kim to Congress, we can send a powerful message of support for issues we care about like jobs, kids, renewable energy, public schools, and college access. She is the only candidate for Congress in our district who is opposed to cuts to and privatization of Social Security and Medicare. Kim will stand up to fear and hate mongering and advocate for the rights of women, workers, youth and people of color. We are close to getting her elected and need every vote to send a woman of compassion and common sense to Congress. Vote for her and our slate of progressive candidates on Working Families Party Row E to let those in Washington and Albany know that our opinions matter!! Your vote counts more when you vote Working Families Party! (Please check this link to view President Obama’s endorsement of Kim: https://www.facebook.com/KimMyersForCongress/videos/1782196495393623/ )

VOTE WFP THIS TUESDAY

The stakes in this election are high. The presidential and local congressional elections are expected to be very close. Every vote will count!
Voting on the Working Families line both counts for the candidate and sends a strong message to them about our values — one that can’t be ignored.
Will you join us and vote for Hillary Clinton and the entire Working Families Party ballot line on Election Day? Whether it’s funding for your kid’s school, getting big money out of politics, holding police accountable, or making sure the rich pay their fair share of taxes – all of these issues depend on having elected officials willing to respond to the people, not their CEO campaign donors.
When you vote on the Working Families Party ballot line, you join hundreds of thousands of voters across New York to demand that our elected leaders fight for a state and a nation that works for all of us, not just the wealthy and well-connected.
No matter which party you are registered in, anyone can vote on the Working Families Party line. Your vote counts the same for the candidates and also sends a powerful message to elected officials about the issues that you care most about.
Please support our whole slate of WFP Candidates:

We are urging our supporters to vote for Hilary Clinton on the WFP line to stop Trump form taking the presidency. Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN GPS, puts forth a strong case why Trump is a danger to American democracy and values:

“Trump has consistently expressed himself — in word and deed — in ways that can only be described as racist. In his earliest years as a developer, he was sued by the Justice Department for allegedly denying housing to qualified black people. In the case of the Central Park Five, Trump jumped into the public arena, taking out full¬page ads assailing the accused black teenagers and demanding that “when they kill, they should be executed for their crimes.” Most strikingly, he refused to back down when DNA evidence had clearly exonerated the five men, and New York City was forced to pay $41 million in damages for wrongfully imprisoning them for up to 13 years.

Trump seems to believe in ethnic stereotypes deeply. He boasts of his own bloodline and compares it to breeding racehorses. In a 1991 book, one of his associates described him as horrified to see African Americans in his accounting department at two of his hotels, quoting Trump as saying, “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.” Trump acknowledged the veracity of these comments in a later Playboy interview, before walking it back in a 1999 NBC interview, calling it “nonsense.”

Trump has also always been a protectionist. In the 1980s, he was sure that the Japanese were about to take over the world and that the only solution was tariffs and trade wars. He doesn’t seem to have noticed that the future he predicted never happened. Undeterred, he has now focused his wrath on China, just as that economy has begun to slow down, and Mexico, a country so small that its effect on the U.S. economy is minimal. The common thread is that Trump is quick to tell Americans facing economic hardship that they should blame their problems on foreigners.

If there is one view that Trump has expressed consistently, openly and with relish, it is that women exist fundamentally as objects for men’s pleasure. He has said and done dozens of things over 30 years that confirm this demeaning view of women — in interviews with Howard Stern, during his ownership of the Miss Universe pageant, when describing working women, and when debating female candidates such as Carly Fiorina and Hillary Clinton. Trump once said in New York magazine about women, “You have to treat ’em like s¬¬¬.”

Finally, Trump has expressed impatience and contempt for many of the foundations of liberal democracy. He has repeatedly promised to change laws to make it easier to punish journalists who offend him. He has threatened people who contributed to his Republican opponents, implying that he would have the government look into their business affairs. He has proposed a number of policies that are illiberal, unconstitutional or even war crimes, such as banning all Muslims from entering the United States, and waterboarding suspected terrorists and killing their families. He has compared his ideas to the internment of U.S. citizens and noncitizens of Japanese descent during World War II, implying that he approved of that measure. And he has threatened to jail his opponent if elected.

These, then, are the core views of Donald Trump, expressed over decades, and confirmed by many of his actions: racism, sexism, protectionism, xenophobia and authoritarianism. His views on taxes and regulations are irrelevant. Your view of Hillary Clinton is irrelevant. Donald Trump is not a normal candidate. He is a danger to American democracy. And that is why I will vote against him on Tuesday.”
(Source Washington Post, November 3, 2016)

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED TO KEEP HEALTH INSURANCE

Health insurance open enrollment for 2017 begins today – November 1, 2016. Everyone with health insurance that ends December 2016 must take action to secure health coverage for the coming year.*

ACR Health Director of Insurance Programs, Steve Wood, said many people are worried about increased costs. “Reports on the evening news tell a national story. It’s different in New York State. Our rates are up, but in the 2% to 15% range. And, as rates go up, so do the subsidies that help pay the cost of insurance. You need to call a Navigator to find out what you can expect in 2017.”
• Insurance rates for 2017 are up between 2% – 15% depending on the plan.
• The state’s Essential Plan – with no co-pay or one as low as $20 remains the same as last year.
• Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and the Essential Plan do not have a specific open enrollment.
• You can enroll at any time of the year.
• If you do not re-enroll you risk losing your insurance and face a hefty tax penalty for 2017.
• For tax year 2016, the penalty for being uninsured was 2.5% of your total household adjusted gross income, or $695 per adult and $347.50 per child, to a maximum of $2,085.
• For tax year 2017 and beyond, the percentage option will remain at 2.5%, but the flat fee will be adjusted for inflation. (We do not know what this is yet.)
• January 1, 2017: 2017 coverage starts for those who enroll or change plans by December 15.
• January 31, 2017: Last day to enroll in or change a 2017 health plan. After this date, you can enroll or change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period:
 Lose or change your job
 Change in income
 Change in the number of dependents in your family through birth, death, or adoption
 Divorce, legal separation, or annulment
 Death of the primary insurance holder in the family
 Pregnancy

*People who have an end date after open enrollment (January 31) do not need to take action. People can check their insurance cards to see when their end date is.

ACR Health Navigators, the most highly recommended and experienced professionals in health insurance enrollment in New York are located at ACR Health offices throughout our nine county service area.

ACR Health has Navigators in all nine counties to assist consumers in enrolling in health insurance. Call 800.475.2430 or email navigator@acrhealth.org to make an appointment. ACR Health Navigators are available to help individuals and families select a health plan, including Qualified Health Plans, the Essential Plan, Medicaid, and Child Health plus through the NY State of Health Official Health Plan Marketplace. This service is free, local, and confidential.

VETERAN’S DAY CELEBRATIONS AT THE CNY VETERAN’S OUTREACH CENTER

The Veterans Outreach Center will be hosting a 5k walk/run at Proctor Park on November 11, 2016. The 5k will begin at 9 a.m. for registration and end at 12 p.m. Please join us to “Run for Veteran’s”.
There will also be an open house at the Veterans Center from 9am-3pm, at our center located at 726 Washington Street, Utica, NY 13502. Please come and celebrate our veterans and tour our newly remodeled facility, showcasing the unveiling of the Chapel at 12 p.m., and a Vietnam Veteran Pinning Ceremony at 12:30 p.m.
On November 12,2016 the Veterans Center will be hosting a Gala Fundraiser at Valentino’s Banquet Hall located at 3899 Oneida St, New Hartford, NY 13413. The gala will begin at 6pm and dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. followed by a guest speaker. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.ticketriver.com/event/20911 For $50/individual and $80/couple. All funds raised will benefit local veterans and their families in need.

ON POINT FOR COLLEGE UTICA CELEBRATION TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 10TH

Over the past four years, On Point for College in Utica has helped 600 first-generation youth get to college, stay in college, and succeed. To celebrate this enormous achievement, the non-profit organization will be holding a celebratory dinner on Thursday, November 10, 2016 from 6:00-9:00 PM at Daniele’s Banquet Specialists, 8360 Seneca Turnpike in New Hartford.

On Point for College, Inc., founded in 1999, is dedicated to making higher education accessible to youth who have the desire and the will to continue their education, but who feel college is out of reach due to economic, academic and other barriers. It also links students to jobs. Since its inception, over 9,000 students have enrolled in On Point programs with over a thousand from the Utica area.

The Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. (CNYCIA) is forming a chapter of Citizen Action of New York to build upon the successful organizing work we have accomplished over the last two decades. The new chapter will enable us to bring new organizing resources and stronger progressive partnerships to Central Bew York. We are inviting to become a dues paying member of both CNYCIA and Citizen Action of New York.

Since 1997, the Central New York Citizens Action, Inc. has been a leader in progressive social change in the Utica, Rome, and the Herkimer area. We have successfully organized around progressive issues, helped to elect and support progressive candidates for public office who are committed to making a difference on these issues, and held elected officials accountable to progressive positions and values. Our success has been in large part due to our strong and effective relationship with Citizen Action of New York.

Citizen Action of New York is a grassroots membership organization taking on big issues that are at the center of transforming society – issues like:
• quality education and after-school programs for all our kids
• guaranteed quality, affordable health care
• public financing of election campaigns
• dismantling racism and promoting racial justice
• a more progressive tax system.

Citizen Action of New York has eight chapters and affiliates in major cities across New York State. Each is a vibrant local organization with local leadership, paid professional organizing staff, a local agenda and an active, diverse membership. Each has developed a strategy, program and structure to meet the organizing and political challenges that most affect their region. At the same time, all share overall goals and a statewide program.

Please join our chapter of Citizen Action of New York so we can become an even more powerful force for democracy and economic fairness. Becoming a chapter will strengthen our ability to fight for community over greed, justice over racism, and people and planet over big corporations. For more information, contact 315-725-0974 or cnycitizenaction@gmail.com. Use this link to join: http://citizenactionny.org/member

Central New York Citizens in Action, Inc. was developed from the Utica Citizens in Action, a multi-issue public interest association affiliated with Citizen Action of New York. It was founded in 1997 to address critical social, economic and environmental issues facing residents of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison Counties. Members of our group worked to empower low and moderate income Central New York residents to participate in shaping the policies that affect their lives, such as economic justice, environment, housing, education, economic development, health care, public benefit programs, and consumer issues. Our projects include research and policy development, public education on a wide range of public policy issues, development of educational materials, community outreach and grassroots organizing, coalition development, training, and lobbying. Please join our email list by sending an email to cnycitizenaction@gmail.com with the subject heading – Join List. We also invite you to become a member of our group and attend our meetings.